Using Ligature¶
Ligature binds the devices you own into one trusted group, so that what you copy, the notifications you get and the files you share move between them directly, over your own network, with no account and no server in between. The reference apps run on a Linux desktop, a Mac and an Android phone; this guide covers installing them and using every feature they have today.
What you need¶
- Devices on one network. The apps find each other on the local network (mDNS) and talk to each other directly over QUIC. Nothing leaves the network, and nothing works across the internet yet; remote connections, relays and sharing with other people are specified but not built.
- Linux with Wayland, a Mac, or an Android phone or tablet on Android 10 or later. LineageOS is the first Android target; the app is installed by sideloading, not from a store. Apple phones and tablets are not supported.
- Your devices in one place when you pair them. Adding a device is an in-person ceremony: one of your devices shows an offer, another confirms a six-digit code with it. There is no remote joining.
The three apps¶
| App | Platform | What it does |
|---|---|---|
ligatured |
Linux, macOS | The daemon: runs as a user service, holds your keys and talks to your other devices |
lpctl |
Linux, macOS | The command line that drives the daemon: pairing, status, sending files, diagnostics |
| Ligature for Android | Android | The daemon inside an app, with a screen for pairing and the phone's own ways of sending |
How the guide is organised¶
- Install the apps on each device.
- First steps: create your keys on one device and pair the others.
- The features: the clipboard, notifications and files.
- Your devices: seeing them, naming them, revoking one, starting over.
- Upgrading and uninstalling.
- Troubleshooting when devices do not find each other or something does not arrive.
Each page says what a platform cannot do as well as what it can: the Mac cannot read its own notifications, the phone reads its clipboard only when you ask it to, and so on. Those are limits of the platforms, recorded in the platform notes, not bugs to report.
Status¶
Ligature is alpha. The releases work for the owner's three devices and are used daily, but the protocol is a draft and the wire format may change between releases, so update every device together. Problems go to the project's issue tracker; anything that looks like a security problem goes through a security advisory instead.